Balthier's Nightmare
by Pinoko K
Summary: [minor spoiler on Balthier's background] Hidden feelings we try hard to avoid in our waking moments could easily sneak up on us when we least expected: in our dreams. Those feelings sometimes may magnify in our dreams just to get our attention.


**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy XII and all the characters, monsters, locations belong to Square Enix. I have fun writing this story, way too much fun. No profit's made. Don't sue.

**Balthier's Nightmare**  
_By Pinko K_

**Summary**: Hidden feelings we try hard to avoid in our waking moments could easily sneak up on us when we least expected: in our dreams. Those feelings sometimes could be magnified in our dreams just to get our attention.

--

He didn't recall coming to Ashe's coronation. But, for whatever reason, right in front of him, standing merely a few steps away, was the princess in a finest silk gown he had ever seen. Balthier was no tailor, of course, but he certainly knew how to appreciate a beauty when he saw one, be it clothing, treasure, or woman.

The gown on Ashe's body was no less than a master piece, probably done by the finest tailor with the most luxurious silk. It hugged her every curve in just the right place. The top of her gown had a rather low neckline, the sky pirate noticed appreciatively. The gown's open midriff exposed her tiny waist, showing the smooth milky skin on her flat stomach.

The princess didn't seem to notice Balthier, though, for once, he didn't mind being ignored. For he was taking his time to take in the view in front of him from head to toes, slowly appreciating every single details of her… er outfit, all with a smirk on his face.

Just as the sky pirate didn't think it could get any better, the princess began to move. No, she wasn't leaving. Rather, Ashe slowly dropped down on her knees, causing the sky pirate to cock up one of his eyebrows and let out a faint whistle. A beautiful woman was certainly a welcome sight. But a beautiful woman in revealing gown on her knees, that had effectively inspired more than a few perverted images in Balthier's mind.

Still, Ashe appeared to remain oblivious to his presence. Down on her knees with her hands folded neatly in front of her, the princess lowered her head humbly for the coronation ceremony as another man approached directly in front of her. Balthier expected Marquis Ondore to host the ceremony and didn't bother to spare his concentration on the other man. All his focus remained on the kneeing princess, his imagination running wild, as Marquis walked into his line of vision. But… didn't the Marquis have a cane? Curiosity drove the sky pirate to throw a glance at the man…

Al-Cid?!

Balthier did a double-take and almost jumped out of his shoes.

"What the –" But words failed to fly out of his open mouth. The normally cool and calm sky pirate panicked briefly. He was silent by an unseen force, as though he had that damned nethicite equipped as his accessory. Something was wrong, very wrong. Wasn't that damn stone destroyed? Why, then, couldn't he speak?

But the nethicite would be the least of his concerns at the moment. Balthier watched with a sinking stomach as Al-Cid approached the kneeing young queen with a strange sparked in his dark eyes. That spark! As a man himself, Balthier recognized it with a snort of disgust. That glint of perversion! All the lewd thoughts about the princess currently occupying Al-Cid's mind were shamelessly written in his eyes, displaying plainly for Balthier to witness.

The image of the Rozzarian prince ogling Ashe so openly and daringly ignited an unknown rage within the sky pirate. He charged to land a punch straight between those perverted eyes of Al-Cid; aiming to break his nose and bruise his eyes, hoping to blind him for the rest of his life so he'd never be able to lay his eyes on the princess!

Or so he would have, had he been able to move. Balthier found himself solidly glued to the ground and his body petrified as though being stoned by a spell! What kind of sick joke was that?! Had all those ghosts whose tombs he'd had the pleasure to plunder come back to pull this stupid prank on him? Had all those goddamn Occuria collaborated to take revenge on him because of his crazy old man's ambition?

Damn it all to bloody hell!

Balthier used all his might to twist and turn his well-built frame, desperately trying to free himself from the unseen bondage. To be perfectly honest, he wouldn't mind minimal amount of bondage that much, if it's administered by some beautiful lass. But with a soul as cruel as this, whoever was behind this stupid trick was clearly not beautiful, and had obviously never dealt with the leading man! Balthier determined to make their lives a living hell; of course, _after_ he punched the living hell out of the so-called Prince of Rozzaria for mentally violating _his_ princess!

Wait… _His_ princess?! Where the hell did that idea come from? Balthier didn't bother to further drill on that thought; for now he had more pressing matters to attend to. He had to either gain his mobility or at least his voice back, _fast_! Al-Cid was already standing directly in front of the kneeing Ashe; his face hovered her lithe form like a hungry monster over an innocent rabbit. But what disturbed the sky pirate beyond any words could ever describe, was the fact that _her_ face was merely inches away from Al-Cid's leather-clad crotch.

Balthier forced his eyes to shut tight and cleared the perverted image from his own mind. He didn't mind the idea of the princess on her knees, if he was honest enough to admit it. In fact, he found it pretty arousing, even more so if she was kneeing in front of _him_. Yet now the man in front of her kneeling form was _not_ him but Al-Cid, and the sky pirate loathed it more than anything in the entire Ivalice. Some unknown acid and venom spilled inside his stomach, eating him up in a rapid speed.

The prince of Rozzaria then laid his hand on top of Ashe's head in a ceremonial blessing, curling her soft blonde hair around his filthy fingers, the ever-so cool sky pirate started to see red. The alpha-male in Balthier went berserk as though he had just finished a bottle of Bacchus' wine. That damned Rozzarian was stepping over the boundary with his ugly boots, invading the sky pirate's very own territory by touching _his _property with those slimy dirty hands!

Balthier tried hard to scream the princess' name over and over again, wanting desperately to get her attention, to stop this unbearable burn inside him. Anything to get that woman in his own arms, and keeping her far, far away from that revolting excuse of a prince.

But all he could make was a faint "ah". Never before had he felt so helpless, if only he had his gun in his hands. The sky pirate would want nothing more than to land a bullet right between Al-Cid's legs and then shot the brain off that greasy perverted face! His fingers twitched voluntarily at the satisfaction of pulling the trigger to deliver the blow of death.

Followed by the movements of his fingers, his arms seemed to have regained mobility soon after. Balthier was more than glad for this timely release from his unseen bondage, just as the prince of Rozzaria was about to put a very exquisite crown on top of the princess' head.

The pirate in him had more than a passing interest in the royal treasure in the form of a crown, yet the man in him wanted nothing more than the royal treasure in the form of a woman. Although his upper body was freed, his feet still glued firmly on the ground. There was only one thing he could think of to get her attention.

"ASHE!" He screamed with all his might, thanking whatever god there was for the return of his voice.

And her attention he got. The princess turned and regarded him with a puzzled gaze, as oblivious as she could sometimes be, especially regarding her own charm; Balthier somehow found that quite endearing. But there was no time for any pleasant thoughts of the princess being the unintentional temptress, as Al-Cid was now slowly lowering the royal crown on her head.

"NO! STOP! ASHE! DON'T!" The sky pirate didn't care if he sounded like an idiot, which he probably did. He just knew he had to stop Al-Cid. The crown must _not_ set on the princess' head, or else!

Ashe's lips moved to begin to speak. But Al-Cid was faster. The diamond-studded crown was now firmly placed on the top of the princess' head.

"From now on," the prince of Rozzaria began in his exotic accent. Each of his word ground painfully in Balthier's ears. "You shall be my queen."

His QUEEN?! By the balls of castrated behemoth!

"NO! ASHE! NO!" Balthier watched with utmost disgust when Al-Cid lifted Ashe back up to her feet and pulled her in for a kiss like a hungry wolf. He couldn't turn his head away, nor could he shut his eyes.

All he could do was to scream from the top of his lungs.

--

Balthier bolted up from his bed, sweating as though he had just fought Gigamesh solo. He ran the sleeve of his nightshirt over his damp face, for once not caring if his cuffs would be soiled. Really, he would do anything to wipe off that horribly offensive image of Ashe being pawed by Al-Cid's filthy hands. What a vomit-inducing nightma –

"A nightmare?"

The sky pirate jumped a back from sitting position, smacking the back of his head against the metal wall of his beloved airship, _Strahl_. He glanced over to see a very smug looking Viera staring down at him with her piercing ruby eyes. Nothing could get by Fran.

"… Just a dream." He mumbled with a shrug, trying his best to collect his scattered wits. He had no doubt Fran could've easily picked up any sound he made, no matter how low it was.

"A nightmare," the Viera repeated as she bended over closer to the sky pirate, with a slight concern on her face.

Normally, Balthier would enjoy the occasion view of his lovely partner, as he was currently granted a rather nice one from her low-cut clothing. But right now, he didn't have half the mind to appreciate whatever view in front of him. All he could think of was Al-Cid's greasy, slimy paws on…

"Ashe."

For the second time in a roll, Balthier startled and hit his head on the metal wall. Wincing slightly, mostly due to bruising of his ego rather than physical pain, the sky pirate looked squarely in the Viera's eyes, as if challenging her to further read his mind.

"What about her?" His cocked up one eyebrow in question, feigning innocent as best he could.

"Ashe," Fran repeated almost condescendingly. "You were dreaming about her."

Balthier gave himself all the credits in Ivalice for not jumping back for the third time. He did withdraw his gaze from his beautiful partner, fully regretting his silent challenge for her to read his mind.

"Really?" The man grabbed onto his remaining wits as though his dearest life were depending on it. "For all you know, I could've been dreaming about you, dear Fran."

Then came her smirk. Balthier hated that look.

"Her name was on your lips."

Balthier gave her a look that faintly resembled a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar.

"Just a nightmare. Nothing more, nothing less," he snorted rather annoyingly and dismissed the topic with a casual wave of his hand. The sky pirate kept his focus on the now damped cuff, feigning as though he was dismayed by the sweat stain, careful not to meet the eyes of his forever perspective partner.

Fran withdrew from his personal space and turned to leave. Balthier released a breath he didn't know he had been holding as the sound of her stilettos started to click on the metal floor. But suddenly, she froze in mid step, and so did Balthier's breath.

His loyal partner turned and faced Balthier once more, looking as though she had just remembered something important. But there was something in her eyes that reminded Balthier a little too much a game of cat and mouse. And much to his dismay, Fran was the cat.

"Are you planning to attend the coronation?" Fran asked rather casually. Balthier couldn't hide his frown soon enough at the unintentional reminder of his nightmare. But then he saw the corner of her lips twitched up ever-so slightly in amusement. Maybe it wasn't unintentional at all. Damn that Viera…

"Perhaps," he replied with his best neutral expression. "If there were no other treasures to hunt." Balthier absolutely refused to be the mouse.

"No _greater_ treasure," Fran corrected enigmatically. Her smirk was now even more obvious.

"A sky pirate is always expected to hunt for the greatest treasure known to him," Balthier offered just as mysteriously. Yes, two could play this game.

"Nothing could be greater than a royal treasure." Fran concluded with a knowing look in her eyes before she turned and left Balthier alone with a sore expression.

The sky pirate wasn't sure if he should kiss his partner in gratitude or smack her upside her pretty head in frustration. But, of course, Balthier knew better than to hit a lady, especially a deadly one like Fran. He sighed pure exasperation.

Two could always play this game, one would eventually win.

And Balthier had always been a sore loser.

--

**A/N:** Balthier's may be the leading man, but he is also just another twenty-two year-old man. Like the rest of the male population, there is one thing occupies his mind more than anything else: sex (beside treasures, of course). After all, Balthier is neither as oblivious as Vaan, nor as straight-laced as Basch. Give him a break for having dirty mind.

This is written to satisfy my curiosity. Don't take it too seriously. The million gil question on my mind when I was writing the other story: what would Balthier's reaction be if Al-Cid was crowning Ashe? Really, I don't hate Al-Cid. Balthier does. As seen in the Ultimania Omega's section of "Al-Cid vs. Balflear". Credits for both book scan and translation of "Al-Cid vs. Balflear" goes to Aria28!


End file.
